Vermont police find missing Cambridge hiker's body

Monday

Jul 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2007 at 2:59 PM

After 22 days of searching, local and state law enforcement officials in Vermont announced that the body of 29-year-old missing hiker Edgar Gonzalez had been recovered from Grout Pond, near Stratton, Vt.

By Matt Dunning

After 22 days of searching, local and state law enforcement officials in Vermont announced that the body of 29-year-old missing hiker Edgar Gonzalez had been recovered from Grout Pond, near Stratton, Vt.

According to a press release from the Vermont State Police, a K-9 unit spotted Gonzalez’ body floating near the west shore of the pond early Sunday morning.

A graduate of MIT, Gonzalez was reported missing July 7, after he was separated from a hiking party in the Green Mountain National Forest.

According to police, the Gonzalez family was notified in Florida shortly after the body was found. The remains will be taken to the office of the chief medical examiner in Burlington for an autopsy, police said, before being released to the family.

Mahr's Funeral Home in Bennington will handle arrangements, police said.

Matt Dunning of the Cambridge (Mass.) Chronicle can be reached at mdunning@cnc.com.